By Myrna Trauntvein
TN Correspondent

Nephi City will pay for the powder coating of the traffic lights at the corner of Main Street and 100 North.

UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation) has decided to replace the traffic light poles and add street lights to the fixtures, said Kyle Marchant. Nephi City Public Works Director.

“Through a miscommunication with staff, the poles arrived not powder coated to resemble the street lights,” said Lisa Brough, city recorder/finance director.

She said the staff was able to have UDOT contact their contractor and transport them to a manufacturer to powder coat the poles.

“Although this ended up with additional costs, it could have been many years before these poles would be replaced again and the time to have it done was now,” said Marchant.

The agreement shared with the council was for the costs for the powder coating and transport costs.

“The funds can come from the Community Projects line in the Capital Projects fund,” said Brough.

The poles were set to be installed on Wednesday, April 16.

“The agreement is simply an acknowledgement to pay the costs associated with the powder coating and transport,” said Marchant.

The Betterment Agreement for the Powder Coat Upgrade for SR-132 (100 North) and SR-28 (Main Street) Nephi Traffic Signal Improvements and Upgrades was for $18,474.

The powder coat cost $6,210 each and the extra work required by Oak Hollow for handling and transporting of the steel was $12,264 each.

“Can someone get the old light poles?” asked Travis Worwood, council member.

Marchant said that was unlikely.

“UDOT owns the poles,” he said. “Sometimes they may be reused in other places.”

UDOT can store them, reuse them, or even salvage them out. But it was unlikely they would let them be sold to a city or a person.

“There are other intersections where they could be used in Nephi,” said T. Worwood. “There are at least three other places.”

UDOT has jurisdiction over the roads on Main Street and 100 North (east and west) and they would need to approve a street light placement on any of those streets, said Marchant.

Marchant said the city staff was recommending that the council approve the UDOT agreement for powder coating on the traffic light poles.

Shari Cowan, council member, made the motion to approve payment to UDOT for the powder coating. T. Worwood made the second and all voted in favor.